Dataset Information

Computed Tomography Findings as Determinants of Local and Systemic Inflammation Biomarkers in Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Retrospective Registry-Based Descriptive Study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To evaluate the association of peripheral blood (PBL) and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) biomarkers with inflammatory versus fibrotic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients.

Methods

HRCT findings of 127 consecutive ILD-board patients were semi-quantitatively evaluated: reticulation/honeycombing (RET), traction bronchiectasis (TBR) and emphysema (EMP) were classified as non-inflammatory/fibrotic; consolidations (CON), ground glass opacities (GGO), parenchymal nodules (NDL) and mosaic attenuation (MOS) as active inflammatory. Each HRCT finding was assessed in six distinct lung regions, resulting scores were graded as minimal (0-1 regions involved), medium (2-4) or extensive (5-6). Associations of routinely assessed PBL/BAL biomarkers with these HRCT scores were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients and graphical presentation; significance was tested by applying Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results

Blood neutrophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil fraction, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and BAL lymphocyte fraction consistently showed opposite correlations with inflammatory versus non-inflammatory/fibrotic HRCT finding scores. Blood lymphocyte fraction significantly differed by graded GGO (p = 0.032) and CON (p = 0.027) extent, eosinophil fraction by TBR (p = 0.006) and NLR by CON (p = 0.009). C-reactive protein was significantly related to GGO (p = 0.023) and CON (p = 0.004), BAL lymphocyte fraction to GGO (p = 0.017) extent.

Conclusion

Blood lymphocyte and eosinophil fraction, NLR, CRP and BAL lymphocyte fraction may aid to differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory/fibrotic ILD patterns.

Trial registration

This evaluation was based on data from the ILD registry of Kepler University Hospital Linz, as approved by the ethics committee of the Federal State of Upper-Austria (EK Number. I-26-17).

SUBMITTER: Lang D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8053160 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common complication in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its diagnosis contributes to early treatment decisions. Purposes: To quantify ILD associated with SSc (SSc-ILD) from chest CT images using an automatic quantification method based on the computation of the weight of interstitial lung opacities. Methods: Ninety-four patients with SSc underwent CT, forced vital capacity (FVC), and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO) tests. Seventy-three healthy individuals without radiological evidence of lung disease served as controls. After lung and airway segmentation, the ratio between the weight of interstitial opacities [densities between -500 and +50 Hounsfield units (HU)] and the total lung weight (densities between -1,000 and +50 HU) was used as an ILD indicator (ILD[%] = 100 × [LW(-500 to +50HU)/LW(-1, 000 to +50HU)]). The cutoff of normality between controls and SSc was determined with a receiver operator characteristic curve. The severity of pulmonary involvement in SSc patients was also assessed by calculating Z scores of ILD relative to the average interstitial opacities in controls. Accordingly, SSc-ILD was classified as SSc Limited-ILD (Z score < 3) and SSc Extensive-ILD (Z score ≥ 3 or FVC < 70%). Results: Seventy-eight (83%) SSc patients were classified as presenting SSc-ILD (optimal ILD threshold of 23.4%, 0.83 sensitivity, 0.92 specificity, and 0.94 area under the receiver operator characteristic curve, 95% CI from 0.89 to 0.96, 0.93 positive predictive value, and 0.81 negative predictive value, p < 0.001) and exhibited radiological attenuations compatible with interstitial pneumonia dispersed in the lung parenchyma. Thirty-six (38%) patients were classified as SSc Extensive-ILD (ILD threshold ≥ 29.6% equivalent to a Z score ≥ 3) and 42 (45%) as SSc Limited-ILD. Eighteen (50%) patients with SSc Extensive-ILD presented FVC < 70%, being only five patients classified exclusively based on FVC. SSc Extensive-ILD also presented lower DLCO (57.9 ± 17.9% vs. 73.7 ± 19.8%; p < 0.001) and total lung volume (2,916 ± 674 vs. 4,286 ± 1,136, p < 0.001) compared with SSc Limited-ILD. Conclusion: The proposed method seems to provide an alternative to identify and quantify the extension of ILD in patients with SSc, mitigating the subjectivity of semiquantitative analyzes based on visual scores.

Project description:Rationale: Honeycombing on chest computed tomography (CT) has been described in diverse forms of interstitial lung disease (ILD); however, its prevalence and association with mortality across the spectrum of ILD remains unclear. Objective: To determine the prevalence and prognostic value of CT honeycombing and characterize associated mortality patterns across diverse ILD subtypes in a multicenter cohort. Methods: This was an observational cohort study of adult participants with multidisciplinary or adjudicated ILD diagnosis and documentation of chest CT imaging at index diagnosis across five U.S. hospitals (one tertiary and four nontertiary medical centers). Participants were stratified based on presence or absence of CT honeycombing. Vital status was determined from review of medical records and social security death index. Transplant-free survival was analyzed using univariate and multivariable Cox regression. Results: The sample comprised 1,330 participants (mean age, 66.8 yr; 50% men) with 4,831 person-years of follow-up. The prevalences of CT honeycombing were 42.0%, 41.9%, 37.6%, and 28.6% in chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, connective tissue disease-related ILD (CTD-ILD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and unclassifiable/other ILDs, respectively. Among those with CT honeycombing, cumulative mortality hazards were similar across ILD subtypes, except for CTD-ILD, which had a lower mortality hazard. Overall, the mean survival time was shorter among those with CT honeycombing (107 mo; 95% confidence interval [CI], 92-122 mo) than those without CT honeycombing (161 mo; 95% CI, 147-174 mo). CT honeycombing was associated with an increased mortality rate (hazard ratio, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.38-2.14) even after adjustment for center, sex, age, forced vital capacity, diffusing capacity, ILD subtype, and use of immunosuppressive therapy (hazard ratio, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.29-2.02). CT honeycombing was associated with an increased mortality rate within non-IPF ILD subgroups (chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, CTD-ILD, and unclassifiable/other ILD). In IPF, however, mortality rates were similar between those with and without CT honeycombing. Conclusions: CT honeycombing is prevalent in diverse forms of ILD and uniquely identifies a progressive fibrotic ILD phenotype with a high mortality rate similar to IPF. CT honeycombing did not confer additional risk in IPF, which is already known to be a progressive fibrotic ILD phenotype regardless of the presence of CT honeycombing.